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Friday, May 29, 2009

VILNIUS, LITUANIA

My travelling tango shoe arrived in Vilnius...No, it was not in Vilnius that this shoe had a pleasure to dance in the Presidencial Palace ( it would be the next station, Lviv, Ukraine) but it strolled around the cobbled stones street of this baroque city and stopped to have a rest in front of this Palace...

The VERY FIRST PLACE in Vilnius we registered was the Fine Art Academy yard- God knows why with the cows all over. This unusual building is a working place of Arvydas, our host and a tango King of Vilnius.The cows? Maybe to commemorate our Argentinean mission. Anyway, we liked the cows ( especially the winged one climbing the walls). This yard was a meeting point with Arvydas- after lectures he was giving on that day and after our first exploration of the city- alone!We had a magical day for our walk- a real warm spring day. The baroque city was flooded by light and life! We felt light- the first FREE day of our TOUR! REALLY FOR US! This little restaurant over the water was one of the most magical places we descovered. And we promised ourselves to come back here for a lithuanian beer.Then we found ourselves in front of imposing Cathedral square- Cathedral and its tower were probably the only few examples of NON BAROQUE arquitecture in town!

Sorry, there is anothere one- a Gothic church with the embroidery like facade!Victor the arquitect was delighted ( " I am much better of dancing tango- he said" )When we went through a little bridge across Vilenka, we noticed they have the same sweet habit as in Riga- marrying couples put the lock with their names written and throw the keys to the river.... ( malicious Argentinean in Victor wispered to me ' they should keep a spare key, just in case...' )We went accross the bridge to discover more decadent, but charming artistic part of the city- with its Guardian Angel.The facades of the buildigs were still waiting for European Money to redecorate and the district apparently has a bad fame. But the artists do not mind it. Cheap accomodation and easthetic surrounding would do. We could not avoid thinking of Heidrun in front of this ecological bar.Strolling around the city getting more and more lethargic ( or tired) we decided to sit on a back by the Cathedral. We have completed the RED CIRCUIT on the tourist map given to us by Arvydas. As Victor approached one of the banks he said ' this woman looks very similar to our swiss Brigitte!' . And it was Brigitte! Rudy and her just arrived to Vilnius on their airoplane, following our Baltic State tournee and we about to meet us at the Art Coffe Place ( with cows)! Now, how small the world! Or rather Vilnius! Tanguero will meet tanguero without appointment given! We exclaimed! And there we went, to our magical corner we discovered before to have Lithuanian beer!